Sami Reindeer Herders in Alaska

Aage Solbakk & John Trygve Solbakk (eds)

In the 1890s, the United States government contracted with Sami from Norway to teach reindeer herding to the indigenous people of Alaska. Sami families traveled in two groups to Alaska, and some eventually returned to Samiland, while others remained in Alaska to herd reindeer or work as gold miners.

Sami Reindeer Herders in Alaska offers a unique chance to hear the story of these Sami emigrants and their Alaskan experience in their own words. The book is a collection of translated letters, which the Sami in Alaska wrote home to the Sami newspaper The Eastern Star between 1901 and 1937, supplemented by plentiful images and additional information collected by the editors.